AN OXFORDSHIRE beer festival will be going virtual as it finds a way to run during the coronavirus lockdown.

The ninth annual Witney Beer Festival will take place on Saturday, May 9, hosted by the Witney Round Table.

The two hour event, from 4-6pm, will feature local bands and musicians through Windrush Radio, as well as various talks and tasting notes from local brewers.

Local breweries such as Wychwood (Witney), Little Ox (Freeland) and Church Hanbrewery (North Leigh) are all supporting the event, with other breweries set to be confirmed soon.

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Tom Baynton, chair of the Witney Round Table, said: “Hopefully the festival can provide a morale boost for people by joining us online.

“We’ll definitely be bringing the festival back next year.”

A mixed selection box of six beers will be made available to order online as the festival raises funds for coronavirus support groups in West Oxfordshire such as the Mayor’s Learning Resource Appeal, and both the Combe and Stonesfield Mutual Aid Groups.

The beer festival started in 2012 for the Queen’s diamond jubilee and Mr Baynton said that up to 1,000 people normally attend the bank holiday festival at St Mary’s church, Witney.

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Witney Round Table is a fundraising group for men aged 18-45, and is part of the national Round Table organisation.

As well as being a social club, it also organises popular local events such as the Witney carnival and Santa sleigh.

To register an interest in joining the group, email: witney@roundtable.org.uk

To learn more about the festival and purchase your beers, please visit: littleoxbrewery.co.uk/shop/